All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crisis over? Not quite yet. Sure, Liverpool put five past woeful Eintracht Frankfurt to get their Champions League campaign back on track, but fans will now expect a continuation of that performance carried into the weekend.

Liverpool travel to Brentford on Saturday evening, having lost three on the bounce in the Premier League. Last week’s Anfield defeat at the hands of Manchester United was a low ebb, and Arne Slot will no doubt have been chagrinned by this polarising level of performance.

Last season, of course, the Reds romped their way to the Premier League title. Few, if any, anticipated a title battle after Jurgen Klopp up and left, but this football club has a funny way of disproving doubt, and the charge was ultimately processional.

Frankly, Frankfurt were shocking defensively, inviting 18 shots and 14 on target. Liverpool amassed an xG (expected goals) total of 3.26.

The club-record signing, Alexander Isak, might have been withdrawn at half-time, having still not hit his stride after that contentious summer move, but Hugo Ekitike continues to show why he has been one of the signings of the season – and that’s accounting for all teams across Europe.

Hugo Ekitike's prolific start to the season

Ekitike, 23, joined Liverpool from Frankfurt this summer, choosing the Reds over Newcastle United. An initial fee of £69m was chequed over to the Germans, with a further £10m payable through add-ons.

Liverpool have been freighted with tactical imbalances and new crises of confidence, but Ekitike has been cool and calm and clinical in the final third, with his well-taken strike against his former club, respectably not celebrating, taking his tally to six goals and one assist this year.

As per Sofascore, the France international also won five of seven contested duels at the Deutsche Bank Park, emphasising a wider level of quality. Not just a sharpshooter, he links up play, fights for loose balls, drops deep and carves openings for teammates. Ekitike is the real deal.

As content creator Asim Mahmood puts it, “Right now, he’s undroppable.”

Right you are, Asim. But Ekitike isn’t the only one, with one of the club’s longest-serving stars proving he’s still got a few tricks up his sleeve.

Liverpool veteran is now as undroppable as Ekitike

In his post-match interview, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk baulked at the suggestion he was relieved after turning around this tough run of losses. He has, after all, been in this game a long time.

And so has Andy Robertson, who for many years ran up Liverpool’s left line as a turbo-charged creative force, whipping in crosses and beating his man with blistering speed and neat dribbling.

Robertson has known criticism, these past 14 months or so. The 31-year-old no longer brings such energy and snap to his game, and has been somewhat remodelled into a less mobile full-back. His technical quality remains, though.

And against Frankfurt, this was on full show. You will have seen Ekitike’s opening goal, the deftness and composure to angle inward when played through and dispatch into the net. It was Robertson, though, who saw the opening and played a weighted pass through.

This is what he brings to the table. Sofascore also record that the Scotsman took 114 touches, attempting five crosses, making five ball recoveries, winning his one attempted tackle and making three interceptions.

Die Roten fell apart, and tougher tests will come for Slot’s side, but Robertson brings the balance, and it may well be that he has proved he is every bit as undroppable as Ekitike right now.

(GK) Giorgi Mamardashvili

6/10

(RB) Jeremie Frimpong

5/10

(CB) Ibrahima Konate

8/10

(CB) Virgil van Dijk

8/10

(LB) Andy Robertson

8/10

(CM) Dominik Szoboszlai

9/10

(CM) Curtis Jones

8/10

(RM) Florian Wirtz

9/10

(LM) Cody Gakpo

8/10

(CF) Alexander Isak

6/10

(CF) Hugo Ekitike

9/10

Milos Kerkez, of course, would have something to say about that, but Kerkez has flattered to deceive at Liverpool so far this season, and he does not look at home in the boss’s tactical system.

While the 21-year-old joined from Bournemouth for £45m and was named in the Premier League Team of the Season for 2024/25, he has not yet found his feet on Merseyside, where the spotlight shines much brighter and the calendar is more unforgiving.

He simply isn’t quite right – yet. Robertson started his first game in a month this week, and he must now retain his role. Less pacy he may be, the £160k-per-week veteran is one of the most distinguished creators in the Premier League, with his assist tally in the competition a testament to that.

The problem with Kerkez is that he’s not a natural ball technician. That is to say, to move him into a principally ball-playing role would be an erroneous move.

Correspondent David Lynch noted he is perceived to be “getting torn to shreds every week”, but that this isn’t actually the case, with the Hungarian simply misused across these opening months of the term.

Kerkez is more of a touchline full-back. He has pace and power and incisiveness, and these are faculties sure to work in his favour down the line.

But we are not yet down the line. Liverpool are at the beginning of a transition, and Slot, for all his brilliance, has yet to crack the wider tactical nut.

Wednesday’s win was a step in the right direction, but Robertson dangled among the bunch of keys to victory; he added balance and coherence and stability down Liverpool’s left side.

The vice-captain simply “has to be in the line-up at Brentford”, according to The Athletic’s James Pearce, and this is a sentiment many would share after the events of recent weeks.

If Liverpool fail to pass the Gtech test – a stadium they have won at twice in a row – questions will be thrown back at Slot’s presser table. If the elusive synergy is to be captured and contained within Liverpool’s tactical make-up, players like Robertson and Ekitike have to reprise their starting roles.

Mac Allister upgrade: Liverpool preparing huge offer to sign £69m "monster"

Arne Slot’s Liverpool midfield is malfunctioning this season.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 21, 2025

Tottenham were denied a first Premier League win at home since the opening weekend this afternoon, as Man United defender Matthijs de Ligt broke Spurs hearts with a dramatic added-time equaliser, despite Thomas Frank’s side briefly snatching a late 2-1 lead.

Tottenham 2-2 Man United as poor Spurs home form continues

Bryan Mbeumo had put United ahead in the 32nd minute, with the October Premier League Player of the Month continuing his excellent form by nodding past a helpless Guglielmo Vicario at the far post.

The visitors dominated for large periods as Spurs looked disjointed and lacked overall creativity at home once again. Tottenham did have one chance before the interval, but striker Richarlison failed to capitalise — missing a golden opportunity when presented with a free header from 12 yards out.

He somehow completely missed the ball, leaving every Spurs fan in the stadium stunned, and those same supporters booed the home side off at half-time after a very disappointing first 45.

United looked on their way to three points, managing the game well after the restart, even if the brilliant Senne Lammens was forced into a couple of excellent saves to maintain their advantage.

However, the equaliser eventually did come, with substitute Mathys Tel’s shot in the 83rd minute deflecting off de Ligt and finding the back of the United net.

Wilson Odobert

7.4

Matthijs de Ligt

7.3

Amad Diallo

7.3

Mathys Tel

7.1

Patrick Dorgu

7.1

via WhoScored

Frank’s player introductions changed the game, with fellow sub Destiny Udogie setting up the Frenchman for his brilliantly taken equaliser inside the box. Yet another sub, Wilson Odobert, then chipped into the late drama.

Richarlison directed Odobert’s ball outside the box past Lammens and into the bottom corner on 91 minutes, sparking wild celebrations as the Brazilian removed his shirt in jubilation. Tottenham appeared to have completed a sensational comeback, yet there was one final twist.

A United corner to the back post was headed home by de Ligt, who was completely unmarked, in the 96th minute — silencing Spurs’ celebrations and rescuing a dramatic point for Ruben Amorim’s side.

The draw maintains United’s four-match unbeaten streak while Tottenham’s home woes continue. Spurs have now won just four of their last 20 home league games, with their excellent away record masking real struggles at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Peter Crouch takes aim at "lackadaisical" Djed Spence in Man United draw

For United’s first goal, so much went wrong.

Pape Sarr made the bizarre decision to play a very difficult pass to Micky van de Ven just outside Spurs’ penalty area, rather than just clearing the ball, and the Dutchman was then rushed into a botched clearance before United capitalised and opened the scoring.

Right-back Djed Spence also failed to close down the cross for Mbeumo’s header quick enough, with ex-Tottenham striker Peter Crouch telling TNT Sports at half-time that his defending simply wasn’t good enough.

Crouch said that Spence looked “too calm” when going to press Diallo, insisting that the defender was “lackadaisical” at that moment which cost Spurs the first goal of the game.

Overall, the north Londoners were arguably the weaker side and a victory for them would’ve been quite harsh on United, even if their brief comeback sparked real hope of a perfect last Premier League result before the November international break.

Their next two matches after the break are actually away from home, but they’re against very tough opposition in Premier League leaders Arsenal and European champions PSG.

Everton are reportedly exploring a move to sign James Ward-Prowse, who has been frozen out at West Ham United ever since the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Toffees are making a habit of offering transfer lifelines, having welcomed Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City in the summer and since been linked with Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee.

Their decision to sign Grealish on loan in the summer has so far gone as well as they could have wished. The Premier League winner has been back to his very best form for the most part and is likely to play a crucial part in the outcome of Everton’s season.

Full of praise for his summer arrival, Everton boss David Moyes recently told talkSPORT: “Jack’s been really good. He’s helped us maintain the ball more, we’re up on numbers in terms of possession.

“His goals have been huge, I’m sort of driving home to him that it’s good being an assist maker but it’s even better being a goalscorer. He’s given us a real strength in how he plays.

“He and Iliman Ndiaye have played really, really well and probably changed the way we are, we wanted to evolve and become better and both those players give us that opportunity.

Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season

The Toffees’ strikers have struggled to convert and they now have a clinical star in their sights.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 9, 2025

“He’s an incredible character, loves his football, watches and listens, which a lot of the modern players don’t so much, but Jack loves his football and Tuchel’s got a really difficult job [picking the squad].”

With Zirkzee already linked with a similar move from Man United and now Ward-Prowse emerging as a target, 2026 could be all about the revival of impressive players in Merseyside.

Everton now exploring Ward-Prowse move

As reported by TeamTalk’s Dean Jones, Everton are now exploring a move to sign Ward-Prowse in January. The midfielder has been given the cold shoulder by Nuno ever since the manager arrived at West Ham and is now almost “certain” to move on from the London club.

A reunion with Moyes could, therefore, be on the cards. Ward-Prowse played 51 games under the Scot during their time together at West Ham, scoring seven goals and assisting another 11 in an impressive run. Now frozen out in London, his former manager could hand him a much-needed lifeline.

It’s easy to forget the quality that the former Southampton star can offer these days, but it’s worth remembering that Ward-Prowse is only one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s Premier League record of 18 direct goals. That’s the unique quality that he could offer Everton, who would suddenly take their set-pieces to a whole new level.

Moyes knows all about Ward-Prowse’s specialty, having been full of praise for the midfielder at West Ham – telling reporters in 2023: “We could have scored four or five from corner kicks.

“We’ve been a decent side from set pieces, maybe without the word “specialist”, but I think we’ve got a specialist now in Ward-Prowse. He’s contributing to us and our results at the moment.”

Joshua Zirkzee now a priority target for Everton as Arsenal refuse Gabriel Jesus sale

Arsenal are currently waiting to discover the extent of Gabriel Magalhaes’ injury after the star centre-back sustained a thigh injury during Brazil’s 2-0 win over Senegal, and he’s now a doubt for this weekend’s crunch North London derby clash against Tottenham as a result.

The league leaders head into Sunday’s derby aiming to rediscover their winning touch after Brian Brobbey’s last-gasp equaliser saw Sunderland snatch a 2-2 draw in their last Premier League game, a result that halted their imperious eight-game winning run without even conceding a single goal.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

The Gunners’ head-to-head record against their arch rivals makes for pretty reading, and they haven’t lost a single league game against Tottenham at the Emirates for 14 years. However, that being said, Mikel Arteta faces a significant defensive concern with Gabriel’s likely absence.

No detailed prognosis has yet been made available, though it is expected that the centre-back could miss at least a short stretch of games, including Spurs, with Gabriel a major injury doubt.

The Brazilian has been instrumental for Arsenal this season, both defensively and as a set-piece threat going forward, so his absence is poised to be a considerable blow.

The injury concerns don’t end there. Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke (all knee) are out but pushing for a return to the side in time for Tottenham, while summer signing Viktor Gyokeres and winger Gabriel Martinelli also face potential late fitness tests.

Riccardo Calafiori was also nursing a hip problem on international duty with Italy, and it remains to be seen whether Arteta starts the left-back who’s been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far, even keeping Hale End sensation Myles-Lewis-Skelly out of the side.

Now, as per The Independent, there’s been an update on Gyokeres’ condition.

Arsenal given Viktor Gyokeres injury update ahead of North London derby

According to the news outlet, the Sweden international could also miss this weekend’s vital clash.

Gyokeres is described as another Arsenal injury doubt to face Tottenham, with Gyokeres missing their last two matches against Slavia Prague and Sunderland after picking up a muscle injury in the 2-0 win away to Burnley at the very start of November.

After a barren goalless run, the 27-year-old was just beginning to find his feet with three goals in his last three appearances.

While Mikel Merino has performed impressively as a makeshift striker once again, having scored more league goals than any other Arsenal player this calendar year and bagging a brace against Slavia Prague, Arteta will be hoping that he can call upon Gyokeres once again to take on Thomas Frank’s side.

Gyokeres is their top scorer in the league with four thus far and six in all competitions, but his impact extends beyond goals.

According to WhoScored, only Eberechi Eze has averaged more shots per 90 than Gyokeres in Arsenal’s squad, with Arteta praising how he brings something unique to the side.

Tottenham are in the midst of an injury crisis of their own with a host of their players missing, and Arsenal know victory would tighten their grip on the title race.

However, derbies rarely follow the script, and Arteta will need his squad depth to compensate for any absences if they are to claim local bragging rights once again.

Tottenham Hotspur now hold serious interest in signing a “relentless” Premier League star, who has been outscoring Richarlison.

Spurs keen on new striker despite Richarlison's resurgence

Richarlison has received plenty of criticism during his time at Tottenham, but the Brazilian has been impressive in front of goal so far this season, scoring seven goals in 25 matches across all competitions.

Thomas Frank has been left impressed by the striker, saying after the 3-0 victory against Burnley: “He deserves a lot of praise. He was very good against PSG and today he was exceptional, with his work-rate, driving the team, link-up play, hold-up play, just dominating and then the two finishes.”

That said, the 28-year-old hasn’t exactly been prolific during his time in north London, scoring 27 goals in 114 outings for Spurs, while Dominic Solanke has struggled injury-wise, being limited to just two Premier League appearances this season.

With that in mind, it could make sense to bring in a new striker in January, and Tottenham now hold serious interest in signing Brentford star Igor Thiago, but there could be competition for his signature, with Aston Villa and Newcastle United also keen.

Thiago has a price tag of around £70m, so Spurs may have to shell out a club-record fee to get a deal over the line, and Brentford are reluctant to sanction a January move, which could be an obstacle.

As such, a winter departure is unlikely to be on the cards for the Brazilian, but strong offers are expected next summer, and a move to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium could be tempting.

Frank is an admirer of "relentless" Thiago

Frank spent time working with the centre-forward during his time with the Bees, and the Dane made it clear he is a big admirer, saying: “Thiago is a very exciting striker who fits the role in our team. He is hard working and a very good pressing player. He is also a physical presence, very good in the box and can link the play.”

Since then, the 24-year-old has really kicked on, scoring 12 goals in 16 matches across all competitions this season, vastly outscoring Richarlison, and he received high praise from Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, who described the Brentford star as “relentless in his work rate.”

That work rate has been on display regularly over the past year, with the Gama-born striker exhibiting a real willingness to pitch in defensively.

Igor Thiago’s defensive statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Tackles

1.35 (93rd percentile)

Blocks

1.0 (94th percentile)

Clearances

2.21 (98th percentile)

Thiago has been fantastic so far this season, and Tottenham should monitor his performances between now and the end of the season, given Brentford’s reluctance to sanction a January move.

Bruno Fernandes has for so long been Manchester United’s shining light, often being the man to get themselves out of trouble during the Ruben Amorim tenure.

The Red Devils may have finished in 15th place last campaign, but it didn’t stop the Portuguese international from ending 2024/25 with a total of 37 combined goals and assists.

However, the £200m spending spree during the recent summer window has seen some of the responsibility taken off his shoulders – as seen by the goals scored by Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo against Brighton.

As a result, the 31-year-old has since dropped into a slightly deeper midfield role, resulting in Bruno only registering two goals and one assist from his first nine Premier League outings in 2025/26.

Amorim could be utilising the club captain in such a role to try and bridge the gap to one player who has prematurely offloaded during the tenure of the previous management team.

Man Utd’s mammoth mistake in selling McTominay

To combat their heavy spending in recent years, the United hierarchy have had to offload numerous players from their books to prevent any financial problems.

Midfielder Scott McTominay was one of the players sacrificed by the board, with the Scottish international leaving in a £25m deal to join Napoli in the summer of 2024.

Such a deal was seen as excellent business at the time, with the midfielder often receiving a fair amount of criticism from the supporters over his displays at Old Trafford.

However, he’s taken his career to the next level in Naples, thriving under Antonio Conte’s guidance in 2024/25 as the Italian outfit claimed the Serie A title.

The 28-year-old scored 12 times and registered four assists in Italy’s top-flight, subsequently winning the division’s MVP award, whilst also being nominated for the Balon d’Or.

The former Red Devil has continued his phenomenal form into the current campaign, with his sensational strike against Inter Milan on Saturday securing the club all three points.

His £25m departure now appears to be a huge mistake, but Amorim shouldn’t be worried with the manager already stumbling upon his next version of the Scotsman.

The United star who’s becoming their next McTominay

Whilst Bruno has largely operated in the role vacated by McTominay, numerous other talents have also shared the responsibility at the heart of the United side.

Manuel Ugarte joined a £50m transfer from PSG last summer, with the hierarchy seeing him as the perfect player to fill the void left by the departing academy star.

However, the Uruguayan has subsequently fallen way below the expectations of the fanbase, with Amorim only starting two of the club’s nine Premier League outings in 2025/26.

Kobbie Mainoo was a first-team mainstay before the 40-year-old’s arrival last year, but like Ugarte, he’s found minutes extremely hard to come by within the starting eleven.

The Englishman has failed to start a single game and only appeared for a total of 138 minutes off the bench in England’s top-flight during the current campaign.

The aforementioned duo’s lack of impact is largely due to the performances of Casemiro, with the Brazilian international nailing down a starting role to the surprise of many.

He’s previously been slated by numerous figures over the years, with Jamie Carragher infamously stating ‘the football has left him’ and that he needs to move to Saudi Arabia.

Such a situation is similar to that of McTominay, with the former United star taking his career to unimaginable heights after his own switch out of Manchester.

However, Casemiro has managed to turn his Red Devils career around in recent months and subsequently shut up a lot of his doubters along the way in the process.

The “world-class” star, as dubbed by Gus Poyet, has started seven times in the Premier League this year, registering two goals and an assist within his recent outings.

His latest showing against Brighton was arguably his best of 2025/26, scoring once and teeing up compatriot Cunha for his goal for the Red Devils.

Minutes played

70

Touches

48

Passes completed

25

Passes into final third

7

Tackles made

3

Clearances

1

Interceptions made

2

Recoveries

5

Casemiro’s underlying stats further showcase how impressive he was against the Seagulls, with the 33-year-old having a huge effect at both ends of the football field.

Tallies such as three tackles and five recoveries made highlight his importance without the ball – arguably being the perfect all-round option at the heart of the side to allow Bruno to express himself in attacking areas.

Such a turnaround in form is huge credit to the experienced midfielder, with his recent outings making him one of the club’s most important players at present.

His partnership with Bruno has allowed for the recent impressive form – potentially saving Amorim’s job and allowing him to reach new heights in his tenure.

Forget Cunha & Mbuemo: Man Utd star was the shining light against Brighton

Manchester United secured their third win in a row against Brighton & Hove Albion last night.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 26, 2025

Chelsea’s opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday should have been disallowed under IFAB Law 11.

Arsenal unable to take all three points against ten-man Chelsea

With Moises Caicedo being shown a straight red card after fouling Mikel Merino in the first half, the Gunners would’ve been expecting to pick up what could be a crucial three points at Stamford Bridge, but the hosts refused to lie down.

In fact, Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring for Enzo Maresca’s side just after half-time, although the north Londoners were ultimately able to come away with a point, as Mikel Merino was able to level things up just over ten minutes later.

Speaking after the game, Maresca made it clear he had no problem with Caicedo being given his marching orders, although he did question why Tottenham Hotspur’s Rodrigo Bentancur was not sent off for a similar challenge last month.

However, Mikel Arteta may have complaints of his own, with VAR being accused of going “completely blind” and missing Enzo Fernandez in an offside position during Chalobah’s opening goal.

IFAB’s Law 11 describes offside offences, and Fernandez’s position battling against Cristhian Mosquera certainly meets the criteria for ‘interfering with an opponent’.

A player in an offside position at the moment the ball is played or touched* by a team-mate is only penalised on becoming involved in active play by:

interfering with play by playing or touching a ball passed or touched by a team-mate or interfering with an opponent by: preventing an opponent from playing or being able to play the ball by clearly obstructing the opponent’s line of vision or challenging an opponent for the ball or clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent or making an obvious action which clearly impacts on the ability of an opponent to play the ball

However, the goal stood and Maresca’s side managed to hold out for a draw, despite having ten men for most of the game, so Arteta arguably has a right to feel aggrieved the Gunners were unable to extend their lead at the top.

Arsenal should have taken three points regardless

Although there is a case to be made that Chalobah’s goal should’ve been ruled out, Arsenal will be kicking themselves, given that Caicedo’s early red card presented them with a golden opportunity to pick up a victory.

Arteta concurs that it was two points dropped, saying after the game: “I think overall it’s been a really positive week because the difficulty was immense.

“But I have this flavour that today we should have and we could have won the game and we haven’t. That’s a learning point from it.”

Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star who lost every single duel vs Chelsea

Arsenal were not at their free-flowing best as they drew with Chelsea.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 1, 2025

That said, the north Londoners shouldn’t be too disheartened, as getting a point at Stamford Bridge is still a good result, and they have a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League table, currently sitting five points clear of Man City.

It’s a new week, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank will be gearing up for a return to Premier League action at the weekend, when his side travel to Arsenal.

Tottenham have been a mixed bag this season, certainly more secure and steely than last year under Ange Postecoglou’s leadership, but lacking the snap and verve that the fanbase associates with the core of the club. To dare is to do, after all.

Someone embodying that mantra right now is Troy Parrott, whose stunning hat-trick at the weekend saw Ireland defeat Hungary and seal a World Cup play-off spot, having only days before bagged a brace to sink Portugal.

The AZ Alkmaar centre-forward, 23, is shaping into quite the goalscorer, becoming the player Spurs knew he could be after he graduated from the academy.

Parrott's record at Spurs

In July 2024, Tottenham sold Parrott to AZ Alkmaar for around £7m. The Republic of Ireland international had made his Premier League debut aged 17, but only ended up featuring three further times across all competitions before leaving for good, having completed no less than five stints out on loan.

AZ Alkmaar

61

33

MK Dons

47

10

Preston

34

4

Excelsior

32

17

Ipswich

18

2

Millwall

14

0

Tottenham

4

0

In fact, each of the goalscorer’s four senior outings for the Lilywhites came during the 2019/20 campaign, and while Spurs knew when they sold him last year that he had untapped potential, it was clear he was going to struggle for minutes given the club’s attacking pecking order.

There was plenty of chatter regarding Parrott and his potential, even at that nascent stage. Of course, comparisons against Harry Kane were drawn, and talent scout Jacek Kulig has since praised him for his “incredible” performances over in the Netherlands, making good on that potential that was stunted by injuries.

There was always the promise of success. While he didn’t enjoy a prolific spell with Preston North End in the Championship, the player’s tenacity could not be questioned. His former manager Ryan Lowe said: “His work rate is phenomenal. For the size of him, he is a bit of a unit inside. He’s not massive, but very strong, uses his body very well & he got down the sides plenty of times.”

If this tells us anything, it’s that development in football is not linear, and it can take talented prospects a time to find their footing after showing initial promise at the foot of their professional career.

Tottenham must learn from their past mistake – if selling Parrott for a small fee could be called an error – and devote plenty of time to their new version of the Irish hero, who arrives in London at the start of 2026.

Spurs have a bigger talent than Parrott

Parrott is growing into his skin, so sharp and dynamic in the final third. There is an expectation that he should kick on and enjoy further success over the coming years, and Spurs may have to watch ruefully on as he makes headway.

However, that poignancy will be tempered and then some by the emergence of Mason Melia, who has completed a transfer rising to £3m last season, slated to join in January after the completion of the Irish league campaign.

Having idolised Kane and made his professional debut as a 15-year-old, the rangy striker is establishing himself as quite the hot prospect, with his former youth coach Hughie Nolan remarking that “nothing has fazed him” as he has raised his level again and again over his formative years.

The Athletic’s Connor O’Neill said after the announcement that he’s “easily the best young talent I have seen in the League of Ireland”. Parrott left his homeland and signed for Spurs before he could make his senior bow, but Melia arguably has more hype around him, and still only 18, there is so much scope for growth.

Having already featured 98 times for St. Patrick’s Athletic, notching 25 goals and eight assists, Melia will provide an interesting dimension to a Tottenham side crying out for attacking inspiration. Richarlison and Dominic Solanke have not provided the answer, for differing but equally concerning reasons.

Mathys Tel is a young and talented striker, beginning to show signs of the talent that Tottenham saw when bringing him over from Bayern Munich, but the jury is very much out and there are questions relating to whether the 20-year-old has what it takes to lead the line in the Premier League.

Moreover, he has recently emerged as a transfer target for Roma in Serie A, the Italians viewing him as an alternative option to Manchester United as the winter transfer window draws near.

With Parrott doing so well at the moment, it’s inevitable that wistful gazes will be cast toward the Irishman as he establishes himself as one of Europe’s most underrated strikers.

But while there’s a romanticism about a potential deal in 2026, bringing him back home, there’s little need when Tottenham have already signed a more talented Irish striker in Melia, who is now just over a month away from heading down N17.

Frank’s ability to nurture young prospects is well known in England, and Tottenham’s wider embracing of their youth suggests that Melia has made the right choice in moving to the capital and choosing white. He might be a “hidden gem” at the moment, as said by analyst Ben Mattinson, but Melia will soon establish himself as a major player in the Premier League, notably described as “the Irish Alexander Isak” for his effortless strike of the ball.

Will he need a bit of time? It’s more than likely. But the teenager is an aggressive and mobile striker, willing to make runs and connect play while simultaneously keeping one eye on goal at all times.

His wealth of experience, despite his young age, suggests that Tottenham may well hit the jackpot with his addition to the ranks. Parrott might be the talk of the town in Ireland right now, but in Melia, the Londoners have signed a young forward with the capacity to outstrip his older countryman and seal his place among Spurs’ finest forwards of the modern age, something Parrott was unable to do before leaving for a small fee.

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ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has done very well to navigate the club’s list of injury problems this campaign, particularly in attack.

Arsenal are currently sweating over the fitness of Noni Madueke, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres as they prepare for the North London derby against Tottenham right after the international break.

Arteta, depending on developments, faces another potential selection headache in the final third, but makeshift number nine Mikel Merino has once again done well to fill the void left by Gyokeres since his injury against Burnley.

Most of the aforementioned stars are racing to be fit for their clash with Tottenham on November 23, with Havertz and Madueke believed to have impressed Arsenal rehab staff in their recoveries from knee problems.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atletico Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Unfortunately for Jesus, the derby comes too soon for him, despite returning to full training, and he’ll be the last Arsenal star to make his comeback after rupturing his ACL against Man United in January (Simon Collings).

Even without a large number of their attacking contingent, Arsenal have still marked themselves out as the team to beat — thanks largely to their imperious defence and set-piece dominance.

The Gunners have scored eight goals from corners in their opening 11 top flight games this season, the most ever recorded by any team at this stage of a Premier League campaign. Their 36 corner goals since the start of last season tops all of Europe too, with set-piece coach Nicolas Jover largely credited for Arsenal’s superb dead ball threat.

They also recorded eight consecutive clean sheets before the 2-2 draw with Sunderland last weekend, equalling a club record that had stood for 122 years since 1903, and they still boast the best defensive record in Europe’s top five leagues, having conceded just five in all competitions so far.

While Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have taken a lot of the credit for being two of world football’s best centre-backs right now, you cannot underestimate the impact of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori in the full-back areas.

Ray Parlour has described them as two of Arsenal’s players of the season so far, with Calafiori’s form even prompting reports that Myles Lewis-Skelly could leave in January due to a lack of game time.

The last thing Arteta needs is an injury concern for the Italian, but according to TUTTOmercatoWEB, that’s exactly what he’s got.

Riccardo Calafiori nursing hip injury as Arsenal learn recovery timeline

According to the Italian news outlet, Calafiori is managing a hip problem on international duty, raising concerns ahead of Tottenham.

The Italian national team are preparing for two critical World Cup 2026 qualifying matches against Moldova and Norway, but the versatile defender’s availability has been called into question.

During Italy’s training session under manager Gennaro Gattuso, Calafiori was spotted completing individual work away from the main group due to discomfort in his hip.

The 22-year-old is being carefully managed by the medical staff as they assess the severity of the issue and determine the best course of action, but there is optimism for Arsenal, as Arteta learns his expected recovery timeline.

Calafiori remains with the Italy squad rather than being sent home, suggesting the injury is not considered serious enough to warrant an immediate return to Arsenal. While the former Bologna star is expected to miss their clash with Moldova, Azzurri officials are targeting a return for Calafiori against Norway instead — allowing him time to recover.

Arsenal will be praying this doesn’t turn out to be more serious and he can in fact feature against Spurs, but all the signs appear good so far.

Arteta will be monitoring the situation closely, hoping Calafiori can avoid aggravating the injury during Italy’s fixtures. With the North London derby looming, Arsenal cannot afford to lose the key defender, particularly given the importance of maintaining their excellent defensive record that has underpinned their phenomenal start to the season.

Southampton have been granted permission following a managerial application ahead of Championship action returning, it has been revealed.

Southampton fan pundit calls for “experienced” manager

The Saints and Sport Republic have taken their time in regards to appointing Will Still’s permanent successor after sacking him at the beginning of the month.

A number of bosses have been linked with the St Mary’s vacancy, but it is interim manager Tonda Eckert who has been catching the eye after back-to-back wins against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday prior to the international break.

There have been suggestions the 32-year-old is in line to receive the permanent Southampton manager job, however, the pressure is on Sport Republic after a number of failures in recent times. Southampton fan pundit Ray Hunt even stated that supporters “want to see an experienced manager” come in.

“Sport Republic have appointed five permanent mangers in their three full seasons in charge. During that period, they have overseen two relegations from the Premier League, and one promotion with their only success, Russell Martin, but failed to give him the tools needed to succeed in the top flight.

“Moving forward, fans will want to see an experienced manager, who’s widely respected with a clear structure. We cannot repeat mistakes from the past. It is a huge task they simply have to get right. Take your time, give Tonda time in that interim, but ultimately make the right decision. The fans won’t tolerate another failure.”

Meanwhile, it has been added that Eckert is set to get the next three Championship fixtures to increase his chances of landing the role.

Now, it has been revealed the lengths the Saints have had to go to for Eckert to be in the dugout over the coming weeks despite already being employed as U23 coach.

Southampton apply for new visa to keep Eckert in charge

According to Sport 1, ‘Southampton applied for a work visa for Eckert for the upcoming matches so they could continue working with him’. It is claimed that the Saints ‘already received this visa for the next few games – meaning Eckert can continue’.

Tonda Eckert’s coaching career

Role

Years

1.FC Koln U17

Assistant manager

2013-2016

RB Salzburg YL

Assistant manager

2016-2017

RB Leipzig YL

Assistant manager

2017-2019

FC Bayern U17

Assistant manager

2019-2020

Barnsley

Assistant manager

2020-2022

Genoa

Assistant manager

2022-2025

Southampton U23

Manager

2025

Southampton

Interim manager

2025 – present

Eckert had a different visa as U23 coach, with the situation labelled ‘complex’ as ‘England’s employment law is extremely complicated, especially in football’, with clubs needing to ‘provide detailed justifications to the authorities as to why they prefer a foreign coach to an English candidate’.

Should Eckert get another positive result at The Valley this weekend and then again at home to Leicetser City and away to Millwall, then the speculation surrounding him landing the job on a long-term basis will only increase.

Southampton told to appoint new manager over Eckert who "ticks every box"